Who Rode It? Who Owns It?

 Sometimes collectors pay hefty prices for bikes because of who rode them. 

I imagine that if you want to own anything Eddy Merckx or Bernard Hinault pedaled to victory, you would need to win a lottery jackpot or two—that is, if such machines are available. 

Nearly three years ago, a humbler mount—a 1970s Raleigh Traveler—ridden to work by a young woman named Diana Frances Spencer fetched 44000 GBP (about 62000 USD in the exchange rates of the time) at auction. The young lady had a change in her life circumstances and was advised that riding her bike to work—or, for that matter, her job itself (nursery school teacher)—would be “unbecoming” for someone in her new station.

I am referring, of course, to Princess Diana.  Even if she hadn’t ridden the bike, it probably would’ve gone for a lot of money just because of its association with her.

Similarly, another bike up for auction won’t go cheap because of who owns it: Jorge Mario Bergoglio. To the best of my knowledge, no one has seen him riding it. That’s understandable when you consider his age (87 years) and the vestments he’s expected to wear.

He is, of course the Pope. The Pinarello Dogma (Can you come up with a better name for a Pope’s bike?) has a starting price of 9000 Euros.  Experts expect the price could go as high as 25000 Euros. That it probably won’t go for as much as Diana’s wheels has less to do with the Pope’s or Diana’s popularity than with how the bike market has softened since the early days of the COVID pandemic.

Egan Bernal giving Dogma to the Pope

It’s ironic that the Dogma derives more of its value from who owns it than it does from who gave it to him:  Colombian 2021 Giro d’Italia winner Egan Bernal, who is reportedly a devout Catholic. Bernal actually had it made for the Pontiff and painted blue and white to honor his Argentine heritage.

That got me to wondering:  Would the bike(s) Bernal actually rode command such a price?

Sold!

I gathered up the change from my sofa cushions.  I begged friends and relatives who hadn't heard from me in years for their penny jugs and spare change. I even started to put together a GoFundMe page to "preserve a piece of history."

That GoFundMe page never went online.  No one surrendered their loose or jugged coins to me and the money I found in my sofa, alas, wouldn't buy me a spare inner tube. So I tried use my charm, wit, erudition and looks as currency to bid on the bicycle Lady Diana rode to work before she became a Princess.  You can guess how well that worked.

Anyway, somoene bought the 1970s Raleigh Traveler she pedaled to the nursery school where she worked until she was told that bicycling to work was unbecoming for a would-be royal. 

The bike, dubbed the "shame bicycle" by the British tabloids, was expected to sell for 20,000 GBP.  It fetched more than double that: 44,000 GBP, or about 62,000 USD at current exchange rates.  Burstow and Hewett auctioned the bike on 28 April; the identity of the buyer was not disclosed.

Given the recent revelations of the Royal Family's and British tabloids' mistreatment of Meghan Markle, comparisons between her and the difficulty shy Diana had in living in the royal fishbowl were inevitable--and probably piqued interest in the bike.  So...while I didn't get it, I wish its new owner well.

If nothing else, Diana was safer on it than in at least one other vehicle she rode.  Riding it tarnished the repuatation of the Royal Family, at least in their imaginations.  A ride she took one night in a Mercedes-Benz W 140 had far worse consequences.

(I'm not a conspiracy theorist, so I won't say that the Royal Family was behind it. But the thought has crossed my mind.)

If You Want To Buy It...

 This bike is for sale.

It's a 1970s ladies' English three-speed.  You've probably seen hundreds, if not thousands, of bikes like it--whether in actual use, a yard sale or a Craigslist or eBay listing.

Not so long ago, you could get something like that for a few dollars--unless, of course, someone gave it to you when he or she was moving or cleaning out a garage or basement.

It looks like something your neighbor's mother or aunt rode on her college campus or to her first job.

And, indeed, someone's mother did ride it to work.  Of course, she's not the mother of your neighbor--unless you happen to live next to Prince Harry or Prince William.

The bike in the photo--and up for sale--is the one Diana rode to the nursery school where she worked before her wedding to one of the world's three un-sexiest men. (Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani are the others, not only because of their politics.)

What that means, of course, is that you won't get it for an already-inflated on Craigslist, where shysters get away with calling all manner of junk "vintage."  No, Diana's bike is expected to fetch 20,000 GBP at Sussex-based auction house Burstow & Hewett.  

In the days leading up to the royal wedding, palace staff advised her to stop riding it because it was unbecoming of a royal-to-be.  So, she sold it for 211GBP to the father of a friend who kept it in his garage for 27 years.

If you buy the blue 1970s Raleigh Traveler, you'll also get a copy of a 1981 newspaper article and a framed letter from Gerald Stonehill, who bought the bike from Diana.

In case you're interested, the auction will be streamed on 28 April by Burstow & Hewett. Good luck!